《吕氏春秋》中的月令及邹衍的五行说

Whether the “Yüe-ling” in Lü-Shi-Chun-Qiu Represents the Application of the Five Rotatory Ascendants Which Applies to the Seasons of the Year

摘要: 邹衍的五德终始说在朝代的兴替和四时的更代均有应用。《吕氏春秋·应同》论朝代兴替就采用了邹衍的五行说，这点已有很多学者证实，王梦鸥教授做了较为详尽的论述。尚待探讨的问题是《月令》所载一年四时的更代是否根据邹衍的五行说。若从五行与四时的关系着手，五行与四时直接相配，但原来应是四时与四方，五行则与五方或五位相配。五行与四时的相配是通过五方或五位的，最初相配时未能完全整齐划一，这显而易见。但更重要的是在实行时的模式并不一致。在土与中央相配的过程中，《月令》里的土在一年之中不占任何时间。到了《淮南子·时则训》才把夏季最后一个原属火的六月拨归土。《淮南子》这个处理办法似乎和邹衍的五行说一致。可见《月令》在处理五行与四时关系时采取的是与邹衍不同的手法。

Abstract: Zou Yan (邹衍)’s theory of the Cycle of the Five Virtues (五德), in other words, the Five Rotatory Ascendants (五行说), has two applications. In the first instance, it applies to the succession of dynasties. In the second, it applies to the seasons of the year. That the “Ying-tong” (应同) chapter of Lü-Shi-Chun-Qiu has incorporated the former application has been shown by previous scholars, particularly Professor Wang Mengou (王梦鸥). What remains to be investigated is whether the “Yüe-ling” (月令) represents the latter application. The investigation approaches the problem through the correlation of the Five Ascendants with the Four Seasons, and although it is commonly assumed that they were directly correlated, this paper argues that originally the Four Seasons were correlated with the Four Positions (四方) and the Five Ascendants with the Five Positions (五方，五位). The Five Ascendants were, then, superimposed on to the Four Positions and in turn on to the Four Seasons through the mediation of the Five Positions. This can be seen from the lack of any attempt at integrating the two. Here, what is more important is the lack of uniformity in the practice. Tu (土, earth) which is correlated with zhongyang (中央, center) is not given a period of time of its own in the “Yüe-ling” whereas in the “Shizexun” (时则训) of Huai-nan-zi (淮南子), the last month of summer is taken from huo (火, fire) and given to tu (土, earth). There is some evidence that the practice of Huai-nan-zi is in agreement with what Zou Yan advocated. Thus the “Yüe-ling” seems to have followed a method somewhat different from that followed by Zou Yan in the correlation of the wu-xing (五行) with the Four Seasons.